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SWISS BUSINESS NEWS

 

 

SPRING 2004

 

 

 

Top of the News

 

A British study concluded that Switzerland is the most economically competitive nation in Europe. The country's top rank resulted from its overall economic performance and its strong investment in higher education and research. Other continental powerhouses faired only average in the poll, with Germany, France, and Britain ranking 8th, 9th, and 10th. Scandinavian countries fared better, taking four of the top six overall ranks, thanks to high investment in research. (From the April issue of Economist.com and its European Cities Guide.)

 

 

Wins and Updates

 

California-based Internet firm Google is reported to be planning to establish its second major center outside the United States in Zurich, Switzerland. The Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported that Google chose Switzerland's largest city for its European headquarters on account of its access to technology experts, multilingual environment and favorable tax conditions.

 

Viventia Biotech Inc., Toronto, and ESBATech AG, Zurich, have entered into a license agreement and research collaboration. The goal is to investigate whether ESBATech's antibody stabilization and expression technology can enhance the characteristics of certain antibodies discovered through Viventia's propriety antibody discovery and screening platforms.

 

New York-based Colgate-Palmolive will move its headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from Paris to Geneva. The initial stage of the relocation will involve around 50 jobs.

 

Mentor, OH based Steris has reportedly acquired Hamo Holding AG of Pieterlen, Switzerland. Hamo is a washer/decontamination system provider to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries with revenues of $43 million in 2002.

 

KaVo Swiss AG, a subsidiary of German company KaVo Dental GmbH, is planning to open a production facility employing 100 staff in Switzerland's Tardis industrial zone.

The company produces a range of dental equipment, and work on the new facility is already at an advanced stage. In choosing the location, the company took into account the sound economic conditions in Switzerland, wage costs, productivity levels, and attractive tax conditions.

 

Austrian-based NewLogic Technologies SA established a new design center in Grand-Saconnex, Geneva. The center will initially be staffed with 35 highly experienced design engineers and systems architects, mainly professionals who worked previously with the Geneva branch of Motorola Inc.

 

United Kingdom based Carphone Warehouse has announced plans to open 200 new shops Europe-wide, including Switzerland. The mobile telephone retailer is scheduled to add 1,500 new people and the aforementioned stores during the next 18 months.

 

Switzerland and Geneva will host the newly created Secretariat for Internet Governance. The Secretariat will initially consist of a working group of about 15 persons and will be headed by the so-called E-Envoy, Swiss diplomat Markus Kummer. Creation of the Secretariat is a direct outcome of last December's World Summit on the Information Society which raised questions concerning consumer protection, data and intellectual property and network security - all now on the agenda of the Secretariat.

 

On the partnership front, it has been reported that Roche Holding of Switzerland is providing $15 million to ArQule Inc., based in Woburn, MA, for the continued research and development of several promising cancer drugs. The deal could be work upwards of $250 million to ArQule if a drug is successfully developed under the partnership deal.

 

Other News

A shared networking system at Toronto Pearson International Airport is expected to speed up passenger traffic and ease costs for cash-strapped air carriers. The system, three years in the making, is attracting interest from transportation hubs around the world. It is a collaboration between Cisco Systems Inc. and Geneva-based technology firm SITA SC, and links 14 separate networks and 11 data silos under one roof. Check-in kiosks, phones and computers across Pearson will be linked electronically and able to send and receive text and data.

 

According to the recently released Swiss Biotech Report, the biotech industry in Switzerland attracted SFr 130 million in venture capital in 2003. This compares to SFr 148 million in 2002 and SFr 106 million in 2001 when Switzerland ranked third in Europe in terms of venture capital flowing into the industry.

 

The 2004 Foreign Policy/A. T. Kearny Globalization Index places Switzerland 3rd after Ireland and Singapore, down from 2nd place in 2003. The index ranks 62 countries for 14 variables grouped in four baskets: economic integration, personal contact, technological connectivity, and political engagement. Swiss rankings were 9, 1, 7 and 33 respectively.

 

Foreign Policy's Cultural Globalization Index ranks Switzerland 2nd behind Singapore among a field of 20 of the most culturally globalized countries. Criteria are based on each nation's exports and imports of books, periodicals, and newspapers.

 

Switzerland and Liechtenstein came in 9th in the number of international patent applications filed in 2003 by 123 signatories to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

 

In Mercer Human Resources 2004 Overall Quality of Life Survey among 215 cities, Zurich and Geneva tie for 1st place, while Berne ranks 5th along with Auckland, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Sydney. Vienna and Vancouver tie for 3rd place. Analysis is based on an evaluation of 39 quality of life criteria including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other public services.

 

 

Publicity and Promotion

 

Releases distributed since the last newsletter:

 

February 26 - Sample Switzerland in the Small at Nanotech 2004

March 1 - ASBC Business Luncheon to DC-Area Media

March 2 - Mercer Quality of Life Study

March 9 - Switzerland Landed 42 New or Expanded North American FDI Projects in 2003

March 23 - Media advisories on Toronto and Montreal road shows to respective city media

April 13 - Swiss biotech industry enters new growth phase

 

 

 

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